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On Tuesday (4th June), 6-7pm in Education Lecture Theatre 351, PSYCHE are hosting a talk by Professor Alex Blaszcznski, a world leader in study of pathological gambling. Professor Alex Blaszczynski will explain pathological gambling, different types of gamblers, the insidiousness of internet gambling, and treatment. He will comment on pokie reform, and the banning of TV sportsbetting advertising during sports matches in South Australia, providing his advice for the way forward on gambling. The presentation will include question time, and we encourage questions. Take advantage of this opportunity to converse with one of the world’s experts on problem gambling and gambling problems.

Before the event, PSYCHE will also be screening “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” from 4pm at the Holme Student Lounge.

SciSoc will NOT be holding its usual scheduled fortnightly BBQ on Wednesday (5th of June), as there will be industrial action on that day. Apologies to all who were anticipating their free fortnightly feed. Our BBQs will return next semester.

On Tuesday, 28th May at 1pm at Chemistry Lecture Theatre 4, Dr Clio Cresswell is giving a talk. As the author of ‘Mathematics and Sex’, he wil talk about mathematics and sex and other mathematical meanderings involving equations for hormonal love rushes. He’ll also talk about knowing when might be a good time to stop playing the field, as well as what brought a mathematician to that point. This is some great end-of-semester inspiration accessible to everyone, so feel free to bring your friends — it’s not just for mathematicians!’

On Thursday, 30 May at 1pm in Physics Slade Lecture Theatre, Dick Hunstead, Helen Johnston and Ben Pope will discuss how Physics exams work, the best way to write answers (so you get credit for what you know) and how to prepare for exams. This session is held each year and is highly regarded by those who come to it. Not to be missed! All students are welcome, but especially first years who will be experiencing their first university exams in less than a month.

For all the psychological SciSocers out there, Psyche (the Psychology Society) are throwing a party of disorderly fun in celebration of the release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological Disorders, Version 5 (or the DSM-5). The DSM contains the assessment criteria for every single medically recognised psychological disorder, so any new version of it calls for massive celebration! Head over to Isabelle Fidler at 6pm on Wednesday, 29th May for a night of complementary food, drink and a chance to meet other psychology students! Entry is free for members. Psyche will be registering any new members on the night for the $2 membership fee.

Once again, the Science Faculty needs YOU to lead it to victory this week on Wednesday (29th May), in Squash! If you fancy yourself as a particularly nasty netballer, then you’re just what we’re looking for! Note that this week is mixed, so both men and women are needed! The first match is at 11:30 against Education at St Andrew’s College Netball Courts. Those who compete for SciSoc get free chips and drinks after the match.

If you are interested in competing or cheering on our reps, come on down and find our sports officers Mike and Alanah in the snazzy navy-blue “Know Your Science” T-shirts!

Once again, the Science Faculty needs YOU to lead it to victory this week on Wednesday (22nd May), in Squash! If you fancy yourself as a supreme squash superstar, then you’re just what we’re looking for! If you fancy yourself a cricket crackerjack like Sir Don Bradman, Ricky Ponting or the Fifth Doctor, you’re just what we need!

We’re up against Engineering at the Square at 10:00am. If you are interested in competing or cheering on our reps, come on down and find our sports officers Mike and Alanah in the snazzy navy-blue “Know Your Science” T-shirts!

We’ve hit week 11, and our fortnightly BBQ’s are back! Take a break from your hours of cramming and come down to Carslaw Lawns on Wednesday (22nd May) at 12-2pm to grab a feed, courtesy of SciSoc. Your sanity might thank you for it.

Prices are as normal:
– Free with an official 2013 SciSoc t-shirt.
– $2 with access.
– $6 without access.

It’s time to update the Society’s constitution, which means it’s time for a General Meeting! This will happen at 5pm on the 31st of May in Manning Meeting Room 1. The proposed changes (written in full below), which must be voted on at the meeting, involve updating the constitution to be in line with the C&S constitution, updating the list of social events and executive committee, defining the roles of the executive committee and removing the bookstore. Here’s a link to the current Constitution.

Here is the full agenda:

AGENDA –

1. OPENING AND WELCOME

2. APOLOGIES AND LEAVE OF ABSENCE

3. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

4. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

5. CORRESPONDENCE

6. MOTIONS ON NOTICE

Constitutional Changes proposed:

Clause 2.2 part (a)

“Host a range of social events each year, including fortnightly barbeques, a Trivia Night and a dinner dance each year”

to be amended to

“Host a range of social events each year, including fortnightly barbeques, a First Year Camp to be held in the first fortnight of Semester 1, an annual cruise, 2 Trivia Nights, a dinner dance to be named “Bucky Ball” and bake sales with profits going to charity each year.”

Clause 2.2 part (b) to be removed

“Run a Second Hand Bookstore to allow access to course texts at reasonable prices.”

Clause 5.3

a. Maintain the Society’s finances in accordance with the Treasurer’s Handbook produced by the Clubs & Societies office of the University of Sydney Union.
b. Present to the annual General Meeting of the society a detailed report detailing financial activity and status of the society.
c. Report to the executive committee as requested regarding the society’s finances
d. Ensure an adequate handover, including any documents and materials, to the following executive.

To be amended to

a. Maintain the Society’s finances in accordance with the Treasurer’s
Handbook produced by the Clubs & Societies office of the University of
Sydney Union.
b. Present to the annual General Meeting of the society a detailed report
detailing financial activity and status of the society.

i. Present the Unaudited Income & Expenditure Statement and the Bank Reconciliation at the Club’s Annual General Meeting, otherwise known as the Treasurer’s Report. The Club’s Committee should adopt the Income & Expenditure statement once audited at a

later date.
c. Report to the executive committee as requested regarding the society’s
finances
d. Ensure an adequate handover, including any documents and materials,
to the following executive.

Clause 6.1
a. The executive members outlined in Clause 4
b. 1 Female Director of Sports Program
c. 1 Male Director of Sports Program
d. 2 Publicity Officers
e. 2 Director of Science Outreach Program
f. 2 Directors of Social Program
g. A Bookstore Officer
h. An Information Technology Officer
i. A Sponsorship Officer
j. A First Year Officer
k. 3 First Year representatives, who shall be in First Year

– Seek out prospective sponsors and produce material for distribution.

– Organise meetings for the executive to showcase the Science society to said sponsors.

– Write sponsorship contracts, to be signed by the President and company representative.

Clause 6.2i

The Outreach Officer shall:
– Increase awareness for Outreach, through publicity in the Aqua Regia, society newsletter, and other appropriate media.

Clause 10.1

The Executive and General Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in the month of September each year, except for three First Year Representatives who will be elected at a General Meeting in the month of April each year.

To be amended to

The Executive and General Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in the month of September each year.Clause 11.1 part (c)
The Secretary has given notice of those proposed changes to all members through one of the recognized publications of the University of Sydney Union and, if possible, the Society notice board and, if possible, by a mail-out to all members (A mail-out is understood to include communication by e-mail.),

To be amended to

The Secretary has given at least fourteen (14) days notice of those proposed changes to all members through one of the recognized publications of the University of Sydney Union and, if possible, the Society notice board and, if possible, by a mail-out to all members (A mail-out is understood to include communication by e-mail.),

Next Wednesday (22nd May), from 5:45pm, the Science Faculty will be hosting a public lecture in Eastern Avenue Auditorium! You can reserve your free tickets right here Here’s what it’s all about:

“Between 14 and 17 million people die each year due to infectious diseases – nearly all live in developing countries.

Many of these diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis, do not attract the same funding and public awareness of other diseases, despite being relatively cheap and simple to treat. Aside from the incredibly high death rates, neglected diseases are also associated with a huge economic and social burden arising from the great prevalence of recurrent infection.

New drugs are desperately needed for these diseases due to the rapid emergence of drug resistance.

Tonight you will hear from award winning chemist’s Dr Richard Payne and Dr Matthew Todd about Sydney University’s latest research projects addressing this international health crisis.

Dr Payne uses a multi-pronged approach to elucidate new drug leads that inhibit the growth of the bacterium (in TB) and parasite (in malaria). Using a combination of computer-aided drug design, synthetic organic chemistry and drug screening technologies his group has discovered a number of compounds that operate via a novel mechanism of action to currently employed therapies and may serve as new drug leads for these neglected diseases.

Dr Todd recently led an open source project that discovered a new way to produce amedicine now used worldwide for the treatment of Bilharzia, a terrible parasitic disease that afflicts millions of the world’s poorest people. Currently he is leading an Open Source Drug Discovery consortium to find a new drug for malaria. Open source drug discovery is a novel concept where new drugs are developed using a process where all data and ideas are shared as they are discovered, and anyone may participate at any level. The open nature of the work means there are no patents and that any technology is both academically and commercially exploitable by whoever wishes to do so.”